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Topic: Dreaming of Quince (Read 6081 times)

I am sitting hear sipping a nice cup of Blooming Tiger tea next to the fireplace (temperature is dropping to near freezing for the first time this fall) and flipping through issues of International Bonsai looking for a project to begin next spring. I ran across two issues that have given me a possible choice. In the 2006/No. 1 there is an article describing the techniques for creating miniature bonsai using Japanese flowering quince. It was first appeared in 1976 and was written by Keizo Tachibana. In IB it was translated by Craig Risser. In the 2010/No. 4 issue there is an article on developing multiple trunk Japanese flowering quince bonsai by Hiroshi Takeyama from 1974 translated by Peter & Satomi Warren. Both were edited by William Valavanis. 2 years ago I purchased 3 young seedlings of Toyo Niskhiki and potted them in oversized pots and let them go "wild". Their trunks are now about the size of a yellow Major Accent Highlighter. I keep them on the bench because I love their early flower display. Mine bloom profusely and put on a spectacular show. I am going to flow the 5 year plan detailed in the articles and in the end should have a very nice multiple trunk shohin. By the time Drew is my age they should be a spectacular specimen on his bench. I have not even put the trees to bed for the winter and I am already wishing fro spring. Got to love the way bonsai teaches us patience and to dream of trees to be.

That story reminds me of a cartoon that appeared in a Japanese language bonsai magazine I used to subscribe to way back in the early '80's. I think it was "Contemporary Bonsai", but since I can't read Japanese except for a few characters, I don't know. I used to get them thru Bill Valavanis. They have amazing photos of trees in training over the years and detailed drawings of training techniques. I have 3 or 4 years of them.

Anyway, the cartoon shows a man and his daughter going to the bonsai shop, and picking out a stock piece, taking it home, putting it on the turntable and considering all the angles. Then it shows him, wiring, trimming, watering over the years. It shows the passage of time over the seasons, and how the bonsai developed, and eventually shows him as a bonsai master sipping tea next to his masterpiece in his senior years.

The last panel shows him in bed, with the newly purchased tree on the headboard, with the pricetag still attached. The panels of the progress of the tree over the years is what he is dreaming while he is sleeping...

This morning when I went out to look at the trees I noticed this past week buds have begun to set on the Toyo. Only thing I dislike these days now is that the only time I see my trees in daylight is on the weekends or if I take a vacation day.

It is truly an odd year. My Toyo Nishiki and Boke are swelling tremendously, my Ume (white flowers) are just finishing- not a lot of blooms but some (I started them from seed about 10 years ago and then they were in the ground) now cut down and regrowing. Let's hope April is forgiving.......

I have a few C. Chojubai that is quite rigid for such small branches and thorns...and a ? species of J. Quince that the stems are very flexible and no thorns. Quite a variety. Even though my Chojubai is only 6-8" tall, I'm planned to wire them up this weekend for a basic trunk shaping and then let it grow wild. Being from 4" seedlings, no flowers for me this yr and maybe next. But I can't wait to see the gorgeous red flowers. Does this sound like a good plan? I'm afraid if I wait a full year, I'll never be able to get the movement i want without maybe snapping the branches off.

Christi, the really contorted Chojubai (not Boke, the others, typically C. Speciosa and mislabeled most places, including my backyard as C japonica) are root cuttings. Look up root cuttings, can work pretty well, though I have not tried it with quince, just elms.

Chris, what I am saying is the really contorted Chojubai are roots, cut off of plants, inverted in a humid enclosure. The then revert to stem and leaf tissue and become the 'plant'. Make sense? They are stiff little buggar.

No, not the same. Kimura's Juniper is a totally different thing, may never happen again, who knows. To do this- take chjubbai, remove from soil. Cut off interesting roots, tapered, etc. Place cut end of root in soil. water. cover in plastic bag or small humidity chamber, out of direct light. as the root begins to covert to stem and leaf tissue, begin to slowly wean from humidity (open side partially, etc). Result is contorted plant grown from root. aka root cutting. works well with stoloniferous plants and elms, among others.